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How Can Nerve Compression Be Tackled ?
Posted on
Tue, 14 Jun 2011
Medically reviewed by
Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team
Wed, 15 Jun 2011
Answered on
Last reviewed on
Question : I have numbness and tingling in my hands that is very positional. It usually starts between my middle and ring fingers, sometimes my thumb depending on position and will worsen until my entire hand is numb if I am unable to change position to alleviate it (i.e. when I'm on the phone or doing a task when position change is difficult) When the entire hand begins to get numb, there is a tendonitis-type pain that accompanies the tingling. The pain shoots up my arm and into my elbow. I sleep with several pillows to try to prevent it during sleep as much as possible, but often my hands will itch in the morning. I am 50, 5'6" and 200 pounds. I have tried losing weight to see if the condition would improve, but have not done well with weight loss. Other than being overweight and on anti-depressants, I am in very good overall health with no significant disease history.
Hello.
Thanks for writing to us.
The numbness and tingling in your hand that you are feeling followed by pain is most likely due to a nerve compression since there is no history of any injury. Usually the nerve is compressed at the point where it comes out from cervical vertebra - due to cervical spondylosis or it can be compressed at the level of elbow also. The exact problem can only be diagnosed by an orthopaedician after a complete examination.
Till the time you get an appointment you can follow some simple measures to relieve your symptoms-
1. Avoid using a pillow.
2.Do a hot fomentation at the elbow and see if it improves.
3. Take methylcobalamin supplements.
4. Avoid doing any twisting movement - screwdriver like -with your hand.
I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. If there are additional concerns, I am available for your followups.
Regards.
Thanks for writing to us.
The numbness and tingling in your hand that you are feeling followed by pain is most likely due to a nerve compression since there is no history of any injury. Usually the nerve is compressed at the point where it comes out from cervical vertebra - due to cervical spondylosis or it can be compressed at the level of elbow also. The exact problem can only be diagnosed by an orthopaedician after a complete examination.
Till the time you get an appointment you can follow some simple measures to relieve your symptoms-
1. Avoid using a pillow.
2.Do a hot fomentation at the elbow and see if it improves.
3. Take methylcobalamin supplements.
4. Avoid doing any twisting movement - screwdriver like -with your hand.
I hope this information has been both informative and helpful for you. If there are additional concerns, I am available for your followups.
Regards.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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